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Amor H, Juhasz-Böss I, Bibi R, Hammadeh ME, Jankowski PM. H2BFWT Variations in Sperm DNA and Its Correlation to Pregnancy. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6048. [PMID: 38892236 PMCID: PMC11172515 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Abnormalities in sperm nuclei and chromatin can interfere with normal fertilization, embryonic development, implantation, and pregnancy. We aimed to study the impact of H2BFWT gene variants in sperm DNA on ICSI outcomes in couples undergoing ART treatment. One hundred and nineteen partners were divided into pregnant (G1) and non-pregnant (G2) groups. After semen analysis, complete DNA was extracted from purified sperm samples. The sequence of the H2BFWT gene was amplified by PCR and then subjected to Sanger sequencing. The results showed that there are three mutations in this gene: rs7885967, rs553509, and rs578953. Significant differences were shown in the distribution of alternative and reference alleles between G1 and G2 (p = 0.0004 and p = 0.0020, respectively) for rs553509 and rs578953. However, there was no association between these SNPs and the studied parameters. This study is the first to shed light on the connection between H2BFWT gene variants in sperm DNA and pregnancy after ICSI therapy. This is a pilot study, so further investigations about these gene variants at the transcriptional and translational levels will help to determine its functional consequences and to clarify the mechanism of how pregnancy can be affected by sperm DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houda Amor
- Departement of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IVF Laboratory, Saarland University Clinic, 66421 Homburg, Germany; (M.E.H.)
- Departement of Obstertics and Gynecology, IVF Laboratory, Freiburg University Clinic, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ingolf Juhasz-Böss
- Departement of Obstertics and Gynecology, IVF Laboratory, Freiburg University Clinic, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Riffat Bibi
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Mohamad Eid Hammadeh
- Departement of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IVF Laboratory, Saarland University Clinic, 66421 Homburg, Germany; (M.E.H.)
- Departement of Obstertics and Gynecology, IVF Laboratory, Freiburg University Clinic, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Peter Michael Jankowski
- Departement of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IVF Laboratory, Saarland University Clinic, 66421 Homburg, Germany; (M.E.H.)
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2
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Pandya RK, Jijo A, Cheredath A, Uppangala S, Salian SR, Lakshmi VR, Kumar P, Kalthur G, Gupta S, Adiga SK. Differential sperm histone retention in normozoospermic ejaculates of infertile men negatively affects sperm functional competence and embryo quality. Andrology 2024; 12:881-890. [PMID: 37801310 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The unique epigenetic architecture that sperm cells acquire during spermiogenesis by retaining <15% of either canonical or variant histone proteins in their genome is essential for normal embryogenesis. Whilst heterogeneous levels of retained histones are found in morphologically normal spermatozoa, their effect on reproductive outcomes is not fully understood. METHODS Processed spermatozoa (n = 62) were tested for DNA integrity by sperm chromatin dispersion assay, and retained histones were extracted and subjected to dot-blot analysis. The impact of retained histone modifications in normozoospermic patients on sperm functional characteristics, embryo quality, metabolic signature in embryo spent culture medium and pregnancy outcome was studied. RESULTS Dot-blot analysis showed heterogeneous levels of retained histones in the genome of normozoospermic ejaculates. Post-wash sperm yield was affected by an increase in H3K27Me3 and H4K20Me3 levels in the sperm chromatin (p < 0.05). Also, spermatozoa with higher histone H3 retention had increased DNA damage (p < 0.05). Spermatozoa from these cohorts, when injected into donor oocytes, correlated to a significant decrease in the fertilisation rate with an increase in sperm histone H3 (p < 0.05) and H3K27Me3 (p < 0.01). An increase in histone H3 negatively affected embryo quality (p < 0.01) and clinical pregnancy outcome post-embryo transfer (p < 0.05). On the other hand, spent culture medium metabolites assessed by high-resolution (800 MHz) nuclear magnetic resonance showed an increased intensity of the amino acid methionine in the non-pregnant group than in the pregnant group (p < 0.05) and a negative correlation with sperm histone H3 in the pregnant group (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Histone retention in spermatozoa can be one of the factors behind the development of idiopathic male infertility. Such spermatozoa may influence embryonic behaviour and thereby affect the success rate of assisted reproductive technology procedures. These results, although descriptive in nature, warrant further research to address the underlying mechanisms behind these clinically important observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riddhi Kirit Pandya
- Centre of Excellence in Clinical Embryology, Department of Reproductive Science, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Ameya Jijo
- Centre of Excellence in Clinical Embryology, Department of Reproductive Science, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Aswathi Cheredath
- Centre of Excellence in Clinical Embryology, Department of Reproductive Science, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Shubhashree Uppangala
- Division of Reproductive Genetics, Department of Reproductive Science, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Sujith Raj Salian
- Centre of Excellence in Clinical Embryology, Department of Reproductive Science, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Vani R Lakshmi
- Department of Data Science, Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Pratap Kumar
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Guruprasad Kalthur
- Division of Reproductive Biology, Department of Reproductive Science, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Sanjay Gupta
- KS313, Epigenetics and Chromatin Biology Group, Gupta Lab, Cancer Research Institute, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
| | - Satish Kumar Adiga
- Centre of Excellence in Clinical Embryology, Department of Reproductive Science, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
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van Oers K, van den Heuvel K, Sepers B. The Epigenetics of Animal Personality. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 150:105194. [PMID: 37094740 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Animal personality, consistent individual differences in behaviour, is an important concept for understanding how individuals vary in how they cope with environmental challenges. In order to understand the evolutionary significance of animal personality, it is crucial to understand the underlying regulatory mechanisms. Epigenetic marks such as DNA methylation are hypothesised to play a major role in explaining variation in phenotypic changes in response to environmental alterations. Several characteristics of DNA methylation also align well with the concept of animal personality. In this review paper, we summarise the current literature on the role that molecular epigenetic mechanisms may have in explaining personality variation. We elaborate on the potential for epigenetic mechanisms to explain behavioural variation, behavioural development and temporal consistency in behaviour. We then suggest future routes for this emerging field and point to potential pitfalls that may be encountered. We conclude that a more inclusive approach is needed for studying the epigenetics of animal personality and that epigenetic mechanisms cannot be studied without considering the genetic background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Krista van den Heuvel
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Bernice Sepers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, the Netherlands
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4
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Morgan BL, Donohue K. Parental methylation mediates how progeny respond to environments of parents and of progeny themselves. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 130:883-899. [PMID: 36201313 PMCID: PMC9758305 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Environments experienced by both parents and offspring influence progeny traits, but the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate the balance of parental vs. progeny control of progeny phenotypes are not known. We tested whether DNA methylation in parents and/or progeny mediates responses to environmental cues experienced in both generations. METHODS Using Arabidopsis thaliana, we manipulated parental and progeny DNA methylation both chemically, via 5-azacytidine, and genetically, via mutants of methyltransferase genes, then measured progeny germination responses to simulated canopy shade in parental and progeny generations. KEY RESULTS We first found that germination of offspring responded to parental but not seed demethylation. We further found that parental demethylation reversed the parental effect of canopy in seeds with low (Cvi-1) to intermediate (Col) dormancy, but it obliterated the parental effect in seeds with high dormancy (Cvi-0). Demethylation did so by either suppressing germination of seeds matured under white-light (Cvi-1) or under canopy (Cvi-0), or by increasing the germination of seeds matured under canopy (Col). Disruption of parental methylation also prevented seeds from responding to their own light environment in one genotype (Cvi-0, most dormant), but it enabled seeds to respond to their own environment in another genotype (Cvi-1, least dormant). Using mutant genotypes, we found that both CG and non-CG DNA methylation were involved in parental effects on seed germination. CONCLUSIONS Parental methylation state influences seed germination more strongly than does the progeny's own methylation state, and it influences how seeds respond to environments of parents and progeny in a genotype-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britany L Morgan
- University Program in Ecology Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Kathleen Donohue
- University Program in Ecology Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
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5
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Monaco AP. The selfish environment meets the selfish gene: Coevolution and inheritance of RNA and DNA pools: A model for organismal life incorporating coevolution, horizontal transfer, and inheritance of internal and external RNA and DNA pools.: A model for organismal life incorporating coevolution, horizontal transfer, and inheritance of internal and external RNA and DNA pools. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2100239. [PMID: 34985131 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Throughout evolution, there has been interaction and exchange between RNA pools in the environment, and DNA and RNA pools of eukaryotic organisms. Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing of invertebrate hosts and their microbiota has revealed a rich evolutionary history of RNA virus shuttling between species. Horizontal transfer adapted the RNA pool for successful future interactions which lead to zoonotic transmission and detrimental RNA viral pandemics like SARS-CoV2. In eukaryotes, noncoding RNA (ncRNA) is an established mechanism derived from prokaryotes to defend against viral attack through innate immunity and regulation of host-derived mRNA. Transgenerational inheritance of ncRNA is evidence for feedforward adaptive immunity and epigenetically encoded environmental change across generations, which may explain the ''missing heritability'' of common disease. Causal graph theory and the Price Equation can model epigenetic inheritance involving dynamic internal and external RNA pools. Experimental designs should include metatranscriptomic analyses to understand how ncRNA responds to rapidly changing environmental conditions, within and between organisms, and across generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony P Monaco
- Office of the President, Ballou Hall, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
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6
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Cullen SM, Hassan N, Smith-Raska M. Effects of non-inherited ancestral genotypes on offspring phenotypes. Biol Reprod 2021; 105:747-760. [PMID: 34159361 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well established that environmental exposures can modify the profile of heritable factors in an individual's germ cells, ultimately affecting the inheritance of phenotypes in descendants. Similar to exposures, an ancestor's genotype can also affect the inheritance of phenotypes across generations, sometimes in offspring who do not inherit the genetic aberration. This can occur via a variety of prenatal, in utero, or postnatal mechanisms. In this review, we discuss the evidence for this process in mammals, with a focus on examples that are potentially mediated through the germline, while also considering alternate routes of inheritance. Non-inherited ancestral genotypes may influence descendant's disease risk to a much greater extent than currently appreciated, and focused evaluation of this phenomenon may reveal novel mechanisms of inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Cullen
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 413 East 69th Street, Room 1252D, New York, NY 10021
| | - Nora Hassan
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 413 East 69th Street, Room 1252D, New York, NY 10021
| | - Matthew Smith-Raska
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 413 East 69th Street, Room 1252D, New York, NY 10021
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7
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Nakamura A, François O, Lepeule J. Epigenetic Alterations of Maternal Tobacco Smoking during Pregnancy: A Narrative Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:5083. [PMID: 34064931 PMCID: PMC8151244 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18105083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In utero exposure to maternal tobacco smoking is the leading cause of birth complications in addition to being associated with later impairment in child's development. Epigenetic alterations, such as DNA methylation (DNAm), miRNAs expression, and histone modifications, belong to possible underlying mechanisms linking maternal tobacco smoking during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes and later child's development. The aims of this review were to provide an update on (1) the main results of epidemiological studies on the impact of in utero exposure to maternal tobacco smoking on epigenetic mechanisms, and (2) the technical issues and methods used in such studies. In contrast with miRNA and histone modifications, DNAm has been the most extensively studied epigenetic mechanism with regard to in utero exposure to maternal tobacco smoking. Most studies relied on cord blood and children's blood, but placenta is increasingly recognized as a powerful tool, especially for markers of pregnancy exposures. Some recent studies suggest reversibility in DNAm in certain genomic regions as well as memory of smoking exposure in DNAm in other regions, upon smoking cessation before or during pregnancy. Furthermore, reversibility could be more pronounced in miRNA expression compared to DNAm. Increasing evidence based on longitudinal data shows that maternal smoking-associated DNAm changes persist during childhood. In this review, we also discuss some issues related to cell heterogeneity as well as downstream statistical analyses used to relate maternal tobacco smoking during pregnancy and epigenetics. The epigenetic effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy have been among the most widely investigated in the epigenetic epidemiology field. However, there are still huge gaps to fill in, including on the impact on miRNA expression and histone modifications to get a better view of the whole epigenetic machinery. The consistency of maternal tobacco smoking effects across epigenetic marks and across tissues will also provide crucial information for future studies. Advancement in bioinformatic and biostatistics approaches is key to develop a comprehensive analysis of these biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Nakamura
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, IAB, 38000 Grenoble, France;
| | - Olivier François
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Laboratoire TIMC, CNRS UMR 5525, 38000 Grenoble, France;
| | - Johanna Lepeule
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, IAB, 38000 Grenoble, France;
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8
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Le Goff A, Allard P, Landecker H. Heritable changeability: Epimutation and the legacy of negative definition in epigenetic concepts. STUDIES IN HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE 2021; 86:35-46. [PMID: 33965662 DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsa.2020.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic concepts are fundamentally shaped by a legacy of negative definition, often understood by what they are not. Yet the function and implication of negative definition for scientific discourse has thus far received scant attention. Using the term epimutation as exemplar, we analyze the paradoxical like-but-unlike structure of a term that must simultaneously connect with but depart from genetic concepts. We assess the historical forces structuring the use of epimutation and like terms such as paramutation. This analysis highlights the positive characteristics defining epimutation: the regularity, oxymoronic temporality, and materiality of stable processes. Integrating historical work, ethnographic observation, and insights from philosophical practice-oriented conceptual analysis, we detail the distinctive epistemic goals the epimutation concept fulfils in medicine, plant biology and toxicology. Epimutation and allied epigenetic terms have succeeded by being mutation-like and recognizable, yet have failed to consolidate for exactly the same reason: they are tied simultaneously by likeness and opposition to nouns that describe things that are assumed to persist unchanged over space and time. Moreover, negative definition casts the genetic-epigenetic relationship as an either/or binary, overshadowing continuities and connections. This analysis is intended to assist practitioners and observers of genetics and epigenetics in recognizing and moving beyond the conceptual legacies of negative definition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Le Goff
- The Institute for Society and Genetics & the EpiCenter, University of California, UCLA Institute for Society and Genetics, 621 Charles E. Young Dr., South Box 957221, 3360 LSB, Los Angeles, USA.
| | - Patrick Allard
- The Institute for Society and Genetics & the EpiCenter, University of California, UCLA Institute for Society and Genetics, 621 Charles E. Young Dr., South Box 957221, 3360 LSB, Los Angeles, USA.
| | - Hannah Landecker
- Department of Sociology, The Institute for Society and Genetics & the EpiCenter, University of California, UCLA Institute for Society and Genetics, 621 Charles E. Young Dr, South Box 957221, 3360 LSB, Los Angeles, USA.
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9
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An introduction to EpiPol (Epigenetic affecting Polymorphism) concept with an in silico identification of CpG-affecting SNPs in the upstream regulatory sequences of human AHR gene. Meta Gene 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mgene.2020.100805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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10
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Monaco AP. An epigenetic, transgenerational model of increased mental health disorders in children, adolescents and young adults. Eur J Hum Genet 2020; 29:387-395. [PMID: 32948849 PMCID: PMC7940651 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-020-00726-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Prevalence rates of mental health disorders in children and adolescents have increased two to threefold from the 1990s to 2016. Some increase in prevalence may stem from changing environmental conditions in the current generation which interact with genes and inherited genetic variants. Current measured genetic variant effects do not explain fully the familial clustering and high heritability estimates in the population. Another model considers environmental conditions shifting in the previous generation, which altered brain circuits epigenetically and were transmitted to offspring via non-DNA-based mechanisms (intergenerational and transgenerational effects). Parental substance use, poor diet and obesity are environmental factors with known epigenetic intergenerational and transgenerational effects, that regulate set points in brain pathways integrating sensory-motor, reward and feeding behaviors. Using summary statistics for eleven neuropsychiatric and three metabolic disorders from 128,989 families, an epigenetic effect explains more of the estimated heritability when a portion of parental environmental effects are transmitted to offspring alongside additive genetic variance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony P Monaco
- Office of the President, Ballou Hall, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
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11
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Kaspar D, Hastreiter S, Irmler M, Hrabé de Angelis M, Beckers J. Nutrition and its role in epigenetic inheritance of obesity and diabetes across generations. Mamm Genome 2020; 31:119-133. [PMID: 32350605 PMCID: PMC7368866 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-020-09839-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nutritional constraints including not only caloric restriction or protein deficiency, but also energy-dense diets affect metabolic health and frequently lead to obesity and insulin resistance, as well as glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes. The effects of these environmental factors are often mediated via epigenetic modifiers that target the expression of metabolic genes. More recently, it was discovered that such parentally acquired metabolic changes can alter the metabolic health of the filial and grand-filial generations. In mammals, this epigenetic inheritance can either follow an intergenerational or transgenerational mode of inheritance. In the case of intergenerational inheritance, epimutations established in gametes persist through the first round of epigenetic reprogramming occurring during preimplantation development. For transgenerational inheritance, epimutations persist additionally throughout the reprogramming that occurs during germ cell development later in embryogenesis. Differentially expressed transcripts, genomic cytosine methylations, and several chemical modifications of histones are prime candidates for tangible marks which may serve as epimutations in inter- and transgenerational inheritance and which are currently being investigated experimentally. We review, here, the current literature in support of epigenetic inheritance of metabolic traits caused by nutritional constraints and potential mechanisms in man and in rodent model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Kaspar
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Sieglinde Hastreiter
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Irmler
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Hrabé de Angelis
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair of Experimental Genetics, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephan, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetesforschung E.V. (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Beckers
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany.
- Chair of Experimental Genetics, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephan, Germany.
- Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetesforschung E.V. (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany.
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12
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Ryan CP, Kuzawa CW. Germline epigenetic inheritance: Challenges and opportunities for linking human paternal experience with offspring biology and health. Evol Anthropol 2020; 29:180-200. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Calen P. Ryan
- Department of AnthropologyNorthwestern University Evanston Illinois USA
| | - Christopher W. Kuzawa
- Department of AnthropologyNorthwestern University Evanston Illinois USA
- Institute for Policy Research Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA
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13
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Dion E, Pui LX, Weber K, Monteiro A. Early-exposure to new sex pheromone blends alters mate preference in female butterflies and in their offspring. Nat Commun 2020; 11:53. [PMID: 31896746 PMCID: PMC6940390 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13801-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
While the diversity of sex pheromone communication systems across insects is well documented, the mechanisms that lead to such diversity are not well understood. Sex pheromones constitute a species-specific system of sexual communication that reinforces interspecific reproductive isolation. When odor blends evolve, the efficacy of male-female communication becomes compromised, unless preference for novel blends also evolves. We explore odor learning as a possible mechanism leading to changes in sex pheromone preferences in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. Our experiments reveal mating patterns suggesting that mating bias for new blends can develop following a short learning experience, and that this maternal experience impacts the mating outcome of offspring without further exposure. We propose that odor learning can be a key factor in the evolution of sex pheromone blend recognition and in chemosensory speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Dion
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
| | - Li Xian Pui
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Katie Weber
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Antónia Monteiro
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
- Yale-NUS-College, 6 College Avenue East, Singapore, 138614, Singapore.
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14
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Han X, Zhang P, Shen W, Zhao Y, Zhang H. Estrogen Receptor-Related DNA and Histone Methylation May Be Involved in the Transgenerational Disruption in Spermatogenesis by Selective Toxic Chemicals. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:1012. [PMID: 31572187 PMCID: PMC6749155 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Air pollution is a global threat to human health especially spermatogenesis. Animal and epidemiological studies suggest that epigenetic factors can transmit the pathologies transgenerationally. Paternal epigenetic effects can greatly impact offspring health. In this study and together with our previous report, we found that H2S donor Na2S and/or NH3 donor NH4Cl diminished mouse fertility, decreased spermatozoa concentration and motility, and impaired spermatogenesis in three consequent generations (F0, F1, and F2). In the current study, we found that DNA methylation, histone methylation, and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) were impaired by NH4Cl and/or Na2S in F0, F1, and F2 mouse testes. Moreover, NH4Cl and/or Na2S might act as environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals to decrease estrogen and testosterone in mouse blood. It has been reported that ERα signaling is intertwined together with DNA methylation and histone methylation, which plays very important roles in spermatogenesis. These data together indicate that the transgenerational disruption in spermatogenesis by NH4Cl and/or Na2S may be through ERα-related DNA methylation and histone methylation pathways. Therefore, we strongly recommend that greater attention should be paid to NH3 and/or H2S contamination to minimize their impact on human health especially spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Han
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China.,College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Wei Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yong Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China.,State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongfu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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Hill GE, Havird JC, Sloan DB, Burton RS, Greening C, Dowling DK. Assessing the fitness consequences of mitonuclear interactions in natural populations. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1089-1104. [PMID: 30588726 PMCID: PMC6613652 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Metazoans exist only with a continuous and rich supply of chemical energy from oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria. The oxidative phosphorylation machinery that mediates energy conservation is encoded by both mitochondrial and nuclear genes, and hence the products of these two genomes must interact closely to achieve coordinated function of core respiratory processes. It follows that selection for efficient respiration will lead to selection for compatible combinations of mitochondrial and nuclear genotypes, and this should facilitate coadaptation between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes (mitonuclear coadaptation). Herein, we outline the modes by which mitochondrial and nuclear genomes may coevolve within natural populations, and we discuss the implications of mitonuclear coadaptation for diverse fields of study in the biological sciences. We identify five themes in the study of mitonuclear interactions that provide a roadmap for both ecological and biomedical studies seeking to measure the contribution of intergenomic coadaptation to the evolution of natural populations. We also explore the wider implications of the fitness consequences of mitonuclear interactions, focusing on central debates within the fields of ecology and biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey E. Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, United States of America
| | - Justin C. Havird
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, United States of America
| | - Daniel B. Sloan
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, United States of America
| | - Ronald S. Burton
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, United States of America
| | - Chris Greening
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Damian K. Dowling
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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Torday JS. The Singularity of nature. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 142:23-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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18
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The Cosmologic continuum from physics to consciousness. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 140:41-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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19
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Yu M, Du G, Xu Q, Huang Z, Huang X, Qin Y, Han L, Fan Y, Zhang Y, Han X, Jiang Z, Xia Y, Wang X, Lu C. Integrated analysis of DNA methylome and transcriptome identified CREB5 as a novel risk gene contributing to recurrent pregnancy loss. EBioMedicine 2018; 35:334-344. [PMID: 30100398 PMCID: PMC6154871 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 07/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Aberrant DNA methylation is considered to be a potential cause of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), while potential mechanism has not yet been elucidated. Methods In order to uncover the contribution of the perturbation of DNA methylation in RPL, we performed genome-wide DNA methylation analysis combined with genome-wide gene expression in decidua tissue. Findings Totally, 539 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified and significantly correlated with gene expressions. We observed that hypo-methylated DMR near CREB5 recruited transcription factors binding, such as P53 and SP1, and in turn upregulated CREB5. Compromised cell migration and apoptosis were observed in human CREB5 overexpression trophoblast cell lines, indicating dysfunctional trophoblast cells might contribute to RPL after hypo-methylation of CREB5. In addition, overexpression of CREB5 altered cell cycle. Interpretation Our data highlights a role of CREB5 involved in the pathogenesis of RPL, and CREB5 maybe a potential diagnostic biomarker for RPL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Guizhen Du
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Qiaoqiao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Zhenyao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Xiaomin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yufeng Qin
- Epigenetics & Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Li Han
- Department of Obstetrics, Huai-An First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yun Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Xiumei Han
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Ziyan Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Yankai Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Xinru Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Chuncheng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
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Torday JS. Pleiotropy, the physiologic basis for biologic fields. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 136:37-39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Champroux A, Cocquet J, Henry-Berger J, Drevet JR, Kocer A. A Decade of Exploring the Mammalian Sperm Epigenome: Paternal Epigenetic and Transgenerational Inheritance. Front Cell Dev Biol 2018; 6:50. [PMID: 29868581 PMCID: PMC5962689 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2018.00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The past decade has seen a tremendous increase in interest and progress in the field of sperm epigenetics. Studies have shown that chromatin regulation during male germline development is multiple and complex, and that the spermatozoon possesses a unique epigenome. Its DNA methylation profile, DNA-associated proteins, nucleo-protamine distribution pattern and non-coding RNA set up a unique epigenetic landscape which is delivered, along with its haploid genome, to the oocyte upon fertilization, and therefore can contribute to embryogenesis and to the offspring health. An emerging body of compelling data demonstrates that environmental exposures and paternal lifestyle can change the sperm epigenome and, consequently, may affect both the embryonic developmental program and the health of future generations. This short review will attempt to provide an overview of what is currently known about sperm epigenome and the existence of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of paternally acquired traits that may contribute to the offspring phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Champroux
- GReD, Laboratoire “Génétique, Reproduction and Développement,” UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 6293, INSERM U1103, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Julie Cocquet
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR8104, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Joëlle Henry-Berger
- GReD, Laboratoire “Génétique, Reproduction and Développement,” UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 6293, INSERM U1103, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Joël R. Drevet
- GReD, Laboratoire “Génétique, Reproduction and Développement,” UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 6293, INSERM U1103, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Ayhan Kocer
- GReD, Laboratoire “Génétique, Reproduction and Développement,” UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 6293, INSERM U1103, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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22
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Barouki R, Melén E, Herceg Z, Beckers J, Chen J, Karagas M, Puga A, Xia Y, Chadwick L, Yan W, Audouze K, Slama R, Heindel J, Grandjean P, Kawamoto T, Nohara K. Epigenetics as a mechanism linking developmental exposures to long-term toxicity. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2018; 114:77-86. [PMID: 29499450 PMCID: PMC5899930 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2017] [Revised: 01/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
A variety of experimental and epidemiological studies lend support to the Developmental Origin of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept. Yet, the actual mechanisms accounting for mid- and long-term effects of early-life exposures remain unclear. Epigenetic alterations such as changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications and the expression of certain RNAs have been suggested as possible mediators of long-term health effects of environmental stressors. This report captures discussions and conclusions debated during the last Prenatal Programming and Toxicity meeting held in Japan. Its first aim is to propose a number of criteria that are critical to support the primary contribution of epigenetics in DOHaD and intergenerational transmission of environmental stressors effects. The main criteria are the full characterization of the stressors, the actual window of exposure, the target tissue and function, the specificity of the epigenetic changes and the biological plausibility of the linkage between those changes and health outcomes. The second aim is to discuss long-term effects of a number of stressors such as smoking, air pollution and endocrine disruptors in order to identify the arguments supporting the involvement of an epigenetic mechanism. Based on the developed criteria, missing evidence and suggestions for future research will be identified. The third aim is to critically analyze the evidence supporting the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in intergenerational and transgenerational effects of environmental exposure and to particularly discuss the role of placenta and sperm. While the article is not a systematic review and is not meant to be exhaustive, it critically assesses the contribution of epigenetics in the long-term effects of environmental exposures as well as provides insight for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Barouki
- INSERM UMR-S 1124, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France; Service de Biochimie Métabolomique et Protéomique, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris, France.
| | - E Melén
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Sachs' Children and Youth Hospital, and Centre for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Sweden
| | - Z Herceg
- Epigenetics Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 150 Cours Albert Thomas, F-69008 Lyon, France
| | - J Beckers
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Technische Universität München, Experimental Genetics, 85354 Freising, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - J Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - M Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - A Puga
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Y Xia
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | | | - W Yan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, 1664 North Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA MS575; Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 North Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - K Audouze
- INSERM UMR-S973, Molécules Thérapeutiques in silico, University of Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - R Slama
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - J Heindel
- Program in Endocrine Disruption Strategies, Commonweal, Bolinas, CA, USA
| | - P Grandjean
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - T Kawamoto
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu 807-8555, Japan
| | - K Nohara
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
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23
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Kleinert M, Clemmensen C, Hofmann SM, Moore MC, Renner S, Woods SC, Huypens P, Beckers J, de Angelis MH, Schürmann A, Bakhti M, Klingenspor M, Heiman M, Cherrington AD, Ristow M, Lickert H, Wolf E, Havel PJ, Müller TD, Tschöp MH. Animal models of obesity and diabetes mellitus. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2018; 14:140-162. [PMID: 29348476 DOI: 10.1038/nrendo.2017.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 527] [Impact Index Per Article: 87.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
More than one-third of the worldwide population is overweight or obese and therefore at risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. In order to mitigate this pandemic, safer and more potent therapeutics are urgently required. This necessitates the continued use of animal models to discover, validate and optimize novel therapeutics for their safe use in humans. In order to improve the transition from bench to bedside, researchers must not only carefully select the appropriate model but also draw the right conclusions. In this Review, we consolidate the key information on the currently available animal models of obesity and diabetes and highlight the advantages, limitations and important caveats of each of these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Kleinert
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center at Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Division of Metabolic Diseases, Department of Medicine, Technische Universität München, D-80333 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Section of Molecular Physiology, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christoffer Clemmensen
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center at Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Division of Metabolic Diseases, Department of Medicine, Technische Universität München, D-80333 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Susanna M Hofmann
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Diabetes and Regeneration Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Ziemssenstr. 1, D-80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Mary C Moore
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, USA
| | - Simone Renner
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair for Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilan University München, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 25, D-81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Stephen C Woods
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Metabolic Diseases Institute, 2170 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45237, USA
| | - Peter Huypens
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Beckers
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Technische Universität München, Chair of Experimental Genetics, D-85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Martin Hrabe de Angelis
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Technische Universität München, Chair of Experimental Genetics, D-85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Annette Schürmann
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Experimental Diabetology, German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE), Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, D-14558 Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Mostafa Bakhti
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Diabetes and Regeneration Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Klingenspor
- Chair of Molecular Nutritional Medicine, Technische Universität München, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, D-85354 Freising, Germany
- Else Kröner-Fresenius Center for Nutritional Medicine, Technische Universität München, D-85354 Freising, Germany
- Institute for Food & Health, Technische Universität München, D-85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Mark Heiman
- MicroBiome Therapeutics, 1316 Jefferson Ave, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115, USA
| | - Alan D Cherrington
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, USA
| | - Michael Ristow
- Energy Metabolism Laboratory, Institute of Translational Medicine, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, CH-8603 Zurich-Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Heiko Lickert
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Diabetes and Regeneration Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Eckhard Wolf
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair for Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilan University München, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 25, D-81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Peter J Havel
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Department of Nutrition, 3135 Meyer Hall, University of California, Davis, California 95616-5270, USA
| | - Timo D Müller
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center at Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Division of Metabolic Diseases, Department of Medicine, Technische Universität München, D-80333 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Matthias H Tschöp
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center at Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Division of Metabolic Diseases, Department of Medicine, Technische Universität München, D-80333 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
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Do Gametes Woo? Evidence for Their Nonrandom Union at Fertilization. Genetics 2018; 207:369-387. [PMID: 28978771 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.300109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental tenet of inheritance in sexually reproducing organisms such as humans and laboratory mice is that gametes combine randomly at fertilization, thereby ensuring a balanced and statistically predictable representation of inherited variants in each generation. This principle is encapsulated in Mendel's First Law. But exceptions are known. With transmission ratio distortion, particular alleles are preferentially transmitted to offspring. Preferential transmission usually occurs in one sex but not both, and is not known to require interactions between gametes at fertilization. A reanalysis of our published work in mice and of data in other published reports revealed instances where any of 12 mutant genes biases fertilization, with either too many or too few heterozygotes and homozygotes, depending on the mutant gene and on dietary conditions. Although such deviations are usually attributed to embryonic lethality of the underrepresented genotypes, the evidence is more consistent with genetically-determined preferences for specific combinations of egg and sperm at fertilization that result in genotype bias without embryo loss. This unexpected discovery of genetically-biased fertilization could yield insights about the molecular and cellular interactions between sperm and egg at fertilization, with implications for our understanding of inheritance, reproduction, population genetics, and medical genetics.
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Holt WV. Exploitation of Non-mammalian Model Organisms in Epigenetic Research. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 1014:155-173. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-62414-3_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Palu RA, Praggastis SA, Thummel CS. Parental obesity leads to metabolic changes in the F2 generation in Drosophila. Mol Metab 2017; 6:631-639. [PMID: 28702320 PMCID: PMC5485226 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2017.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A significant portion of the heritable risk for complex metabolic disorders cannot be attributed to classic Mendelian genetic factors. At least some of this missing heritability is thought to be due to the epigenetic influence of parental and grandparental metabolic state on offspring health. Previous work suggests that this transgenerational phenomenon is evolutionarily conserved in Drosophila. These studies, however, have all depended on dietary paradigms to alter parental metabolic state, which can have inconsistent heritable effects on the metabolism of offspring. METHODS Here we use AKHR null alleles to induce obesity in the parental generation and then score both metabolic parameters and genome-wide transcriptional responses in AKHR heterozygote F1 progeny and genetically wild-type F2 progeny. RESULTS Unexpectedly, we observe elevated glycogen levels and changes in gene expression in AKHR heterozygotes due to haploinsufficiency at this locus. We also show that genetic manipulation of parental metabolism using AKHR mutations results in significant physiological changes in F2 wild-type offspring of the grandpaternal/maternal lineage. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that genetic manipulation of parental metabolism in Drosophila can have an effect on the health of F2 progeny, providing a non-dietary paradigm to better understand the mechanisms behind the transgenerational inheritance of metabolic state.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carl S. Thummel
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 N 2030 E Rm 5100, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5330, USA
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Attie AD, Churchill GA, Nadeau JH. How mice are indispensable for understanding obesity and diabetes genetics. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes 2017; 24:83-91. [PMID: 28107248 PMCID: PMC5837807 DOI: 10.1097/med.0000000000000321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The task of cataloging human genetic variation and its relation to disease is rapidly approaching completion. The new challenge is to discover the function of disease-associated genes and to understand the pathways that lead to human disease. We propose that achieving this new level of understanding will increasingly rely on the use of model organisms. We discuss the advantages of the mouse as a model organism to our understanding of human disease. RECENT FINDINGS The collection of available mouse strains represents as much genetic and phenotypic variation as is found in the human population. However, unlike humans, mice can be subjected to experimental breeding protocols and the availability of tissues allows for a far greater and deeper level of phenotyping. New methods for gene editing make it relatively easy to create mouse models of known human mutations. The distinction between genetic and epigenetic inheritance can be studied in great detail. Various experimental protocols enable the exploration of the role of the microbiome in physiology and disease. SUMMARY We propose that there will be an interdependence between human and model organism research. Technological advances and new genetic screening platforms in the mouse have greatly improved the path to gene discovery and mechanistic studies of gene function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan D Attie
- aDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin bThe Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine cPacific Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Capovilla M, Robichon A, Rassoulzadegan M. A new paramutation-like example at the Delta gene of Drosophila. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172780. [PMID: 28355214 PMCID: PMC5371283 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The hereditary transmission of a phenotype independent from DNA sequence implies epigenetic effects. Paramutation is a heritable epigenetic phenomenon observed in plants and animals. To investigate paramutation in Drosophila, we used the P{ry+t7.2= PZ}Dl05151 P-element insertion in the Drosophila melanogaster genome that causes a dominant visible phenotype: the presence of characteristic extra-veins in the fly wings. This extra-vein phenotype presents variable expressivity and incomplete penetrance. The insert is a PZ element located 680 bp upstream from the ATG of the Delta (Dl) gene, encoding the Notch ligand involved in wing vein development, and acts as a null allele. In the G2 offspring from a cross between the heterozygous transgenic stock and wild-type flies, we observed the transmission of the extra-vein phenotype to wild-type flies without the transgene, independently of gender and across many generations. This is a “paramutation-like” example in the fly: the heritable transmission of a phenotypic change not linked to a classical genetic mutation. A “paramutagenic” allele in heterozygotes transmits the phenotype of the heterozygotes to the wild-type allele (“paramutant”) in a stable manner through generations. Distinct from paramutation events so far described in Drosophila, here we deal with a dominant effect on a single gene involving variable hereditary signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Capovilla
- UMR 1355–7254 INRA/Université Côte d’Azur/CNRS, Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, 400 route des Chappes, Sophia Antipolis, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Alain Robichon
- UMR 1355–7254 INRA/Université Côte d’Azur/CNRS, Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, 400 route des Chappes, Sophia Antipolis, France
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Role of DNA methylation in expression control of the IKZF3-GSDMA region in human epithelial cells. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172707. [PMID: 28241063 PMCID: PMC5328393 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal region 17q12-q21 is associated with asthma and harbors regulatory polymorphisms that influence expression levels of all five protein-coding genes in the region: IKAROS family zinc finger 3 (Aiolos) (IKZF3), zona pellucida binding protein 2 (ZPBP2), ORMDL sphingolipid biosynthesis regulator 3 (ORMDL3), and gasdermins A and B (GSDMA, GSDMB). Furthermore, DNA methylation in this region has been implicated as a potential modifier of the genetic risk of asthma development. To further characterize the effect of DNA methylation, we examined the impact of treatment with DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) that causes DNA demethylation, on expression and promoter methylation of the five 17q12-q21 genes in the human airway epithelium cell line NuLi-1, embryonic kidney epithelium cell line 293T and human adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7. 5-aza-dC treatment led to upregulation of expression of GSDMA in all three cell lines. ZPBP2 was upregulated in NuLi-1, but remained repressed in 293T and MCF-7 cells, whereas ORMDL3 was upregulated in 293T and MCF-7 cells, but not NuLi-1. Upregulation of ZPBP2 and GSDMA was accompanied by a decrease in promoter methylation. Moreover, 5-aza-dC treatment modified allelic expression of ZPBP2 and ORMDL3 suggesting that different alleles may respond differently to treatment. We also identified a polymorphic CTCF-binding site in intron 1 of ORMDL3 carrying a CG SNP rs4065275 and determined its methylation level. The site’s methylation was unaffected by 5-aza-dC treatment in NuLi-1 cells. We conclude that modest changes (8–13%) in promoter methylation levels of ZPBP2 and GSDMA may cause substantial changes in RNA levels and that allelic expression of ZPBP2 and ORMDL3 is mediated by DNA methylation.
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Calvo A, Canosa A, Bertuzzo D, Cugnasco P, Solero L, Clerico M, De Mercanti S, Bersano E, Cammarosano S, Ilardi A, Manera U, Moglia C, Marinou K, Bottacchi E, Pisano F, Mora G, Mazzini L, Chiò A. Influence of cigarette smoking on ALS outcome: a population-based study. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2016; 87:1229-1233. [PMID: 27656044 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2016-313793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the prognostic influence of premorbid smoking habits and vascular risk profile on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) phenotype and outcome in a population-based cohort of Italian patients. METHODS A total of 650 patients with ALS from the Piemonte/Valle d'Aosta Register for ALS, incident in the 2007-2011 period, were recruited. Information about premorbid cigarette smoking habits and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were collected at the time of diagnosis. RESULTS Current smokers had a significantly shorter median survival (1.9 years, IQR 1.2-3.4) compared with former (2.3 years, IQR 1.5-4.2) and never smokers (2.7 years, IQR 1.8-4.6) (p=0.001). Also COPD adversely influenced patients' prognosis. Both smoking habits and CODP were retained in Cox multivariable model. CONCLUSIONS This study has demonstrated in a large population-based cohort of patients with ALS that cigarette smoking is an independent negative prognostic factor for survival, with a dose-response gradient. Its effect is not related to the presence of COPD or to respiratory status at time of diagnosis. The understanding of the mechanisms, either genetic or epigenetic, through which exogenous factors influence disease phenotype is of major importance towards a more focused approach to cure ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Calvo
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza, Turin, Italy
| | - Antonio Canosa
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Davide Bertuzzo
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Paolo Cugnasco
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Luca Solero
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Marinella Clerico
- Department of Biological and Clinical Science, University of Turin, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria San Luigi Gonzaga, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Stefania De Mercanti
- Department of Biological and Clinical Science, University of Turin, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria San Luigi Gonzaga, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Enrica Bersano
- Department of Neurology, ALS Center, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy Eastern Piedmont University, Novara, Italy
| | - Stefania Cammarosano
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Antonio Ilardi
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Umberto Manera
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Cristina Moglia
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Kalliopi Marinou
- Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, IRCSS, Scientific Institute of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Edo Bottacchi
- Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Regionale di Aosta, Azienda USL Valle d'Aosta, Aosta, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Pisano
- Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, IRCSS, Scientific Institute of Veruno (NO), Veruno, Italy
| | - Gabriele Mora
- Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, IRCSS, Scientific Institute of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Letizia Mazzini
- Department of Neurology, ALS Center, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy
| | - Adriano Chiò
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza, Turin, Italy Neuroscience Institute of Torino (NIT), Turin, Italy
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Herman JJ, Sultan SE. DNA methylation mediates genetic variation for adaptive transgenerational plasticity. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20160988. [PMID: 27629032 PMCID: PMC5031651 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental stresses experienced by individual parents can influence offspring phenotypes in ways that enhance survival under similar conditions. Although such adaptive transgenerational plasticity is well documented, its transmission mechanisms are generally unknown. One possible mechanism is environmentally induced DNA methylation changes. We tested this hypothesis in the annual plant Polygonum persicaria, a species known to express adaptive transgenerational plasticity in response to parental drought stress. Replicate plants of 12 genetic lines (sampled from natural populations) were grown in dry versus moist soil. Their offspring were exposed to the demethylating agent zebularine or to control conditions during germination and then grown in dry soil. Under control germination conditions, the offspring of drought-stressed parents grew longer root systems and attained greater biomass compared with offspring of well-watered parents of the same genetic lines. Demethylation removed these adaptive developmental effects of parental drought, but did not significantly alter phenotypic expression in offspring of well-watered parents. The effect of demethylation on the expression of the parental drought effect varied among genetic lines. Differential seed provisioning did not contribute to the effect of parental drought on offspring phenotypes. These results demonstrate that DNA methylation can mediate adaptive, genotype-specific effects of parental stress on offspring phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob J Herman
- Biology Department, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Sonia E Sultan
- Biology Department, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
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Parent-of-origin effects of A1CF and AGO2 on testicular germ-cell tumors, testicular abnormalities, and fertilization bias. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E5425-33. [PMID: 27582469 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1604773113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Testicular tumors, the most common cancer in young men, arise from abnormalities in germ cells during fetal development. Unconventional inheritance for testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) risk both in humans and mice implicates epigenetic mechanisms. Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme complex 1 (APOBEC1) cytidine deaminase and Deadend-1, which are involved in C-to-U RNA editing and microRNA-dependent mRNA silencing, respectively, are potent epigenetic modifiers of TGCT susceptibility in the genetically predisposed 129/Sv inbred mouse strain. Here, we show that partial loss of either APOBEC1 complementation factor (A1CF), the RNA-binding cofactor of APOBEC1 in RNA editing, or Argonaute 2 (AGO2), a key factor in the biogenesis of certain noncoding RNAs, modulates risk for TGCTs and testicular abnormalities in both parent-of-origin and conventional genetic manners. In addition, non-Mendelian inheritance was found among progeny of A1cf and Ago2 mutant intercrosses but not in backcrosses and without fetal loss. Together these findings suggest nonrandom union of gametes rather than meiotic drive or preferential lethality. Finally, this survey also suggested that A1CF contributes to long-term reproductive performance. These results directly implicate the RNA-binding proteins A1CF and AGO2 in the epigenetic control of germ-cell fate, urogenital development, and gamete functions.
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Tillo D, Mukherjee S, Vinson C. Inheritance of Cytosine Methylation. J Cell Physiol 2016; 231:2346-52. [DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Desiree Tillo
- Laboratory of Metabolism; National Cancer Institute; National Institutes of Health; Bethesda Maryland
| | - Sanjit Mukherjee
- Laboratory of Metabolism; National Cancer Institute; National Institutes of Health; Bethesda Maryland
| | - Charles Vinson
- Laboratory of Metabolism; National Cancer Institute; National Institutes of Health; Bethesda Maryland
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Metzger DCH, Schulte PM. Epigenomics in marine fishes. Mar Genomics 2016; 30:43-54. [PMID: 26833273 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms are an underappreciated and often ignored component of an organism's response to environmental change and may underlie many types of phenotypic plasticity. Recent technological advances in methods for detecting epigenetic marks at a whole-genome scale have launched new opportunities for studying epigenomics in ecologically relevant non-model systems. The study of ecological epigenomics holds great promise to better understand the linkages between genotype, phenotype, and the environment and to explore mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity. The many attributes of marine fish species, including their high diversity, variable life histories, high fecundity, impressive plasticity, and economic value provide unique opportunities for studying epigenetic mechanisms in an environmental context. To provide a primer on epigenomic research for fish biologists, we start by describing fundamental aspects of epigenetics, focusing on the most widely studied and most well understood of the epigenetic marks: DNA methylation. We then describe the techniques that have been used to investigate DNA methylation in marine fishes to date and highlight some new techniques that hold great promise for future studies. Epigenomic research in marine fishes is in its early stages, so we first briefly discuss what has been learned about the establishment, maintenance, and function of DNA methylation in fishes from studies in zebrafish and then summarize the studies demonstrating the pervasive effects of the environment on the epigenomes of marine fishes. We conclude by highlighting the potential for ongoing research on the epigenomics of marine fishes to reveal critical aspects of the interaction between organisms and their environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C H Metzger
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Patricia M Schulte
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
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O’Dea RE, Noble DWA, Johnson SL, Hesselson D, Nakagawa S. The role of non-genetic inheritance in evolutionary rescue: epigenetic buffering, heritable bet hedging and epigenetic traps. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2016; 2:dvv014. [PMID: 29492283 PMCID: PMC5804513 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvv014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Rapid environmental change is predicted to compromise population survival, and the resulting strong selective pressure can erode genetic variation, making evolutionary rescue unlikely. Non-genetic inheritance may provide a solution to this problem and help explain the current lack of fit between purely genetic evolutionary models and empirical data. We hypothesize that epigenetic modifications can facilitate evolutionary rescue through 'epigenetic buffering'. By facilitating the inheritance of novel phenotypic variants that are generated by environmental change-a strategy we call 'heritable bet hedging'-epigenetic modifications could maintain and increase the evolutionary potential of a population. This process may facilitate genetic adaptation by preserving existing genetic variation, releasing cryptic genetic variation and/or facilitating mutations in functional loci. Although we show that examples of non-genetic inheritance are often maladaptive in the short term, accounting for phenotypic variance and non-adaptive plasticity may reveal important evolutionary implications over longer time scales. We also discuss the possibility that maladaptive epigenetic responses may be due to 'epigenetic traps', whereby evolutionarily novel factors (e.g. endocrine disruptors) hack into the existing epigenetic machinery. We stress that more ecologically relevant work on transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is required. Researchers conducting studies on transgenerational environmental effects should report measures of phenotypic variance, so that the possibility of both bet hedging and heritable bet hedging can be assessed. Future empirical and theoretical work is required to assess the relative importance of genetic and epigenetic variation, and their interaction, for evolutionary rescue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose E. O’Dea
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel W. A. Noble
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sheri L. Johnson
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Daniel Hesselson
- Diabetes and Metabolism Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- St Vincent’s Clinical School, UNSW, Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Diabetes and Metabolism Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence address. School of BEES, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia, Tel:
+61-2-9385-8084
; Fax:
+61-2-9385-9138
; E-mail:
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